older generation develop their skills and confidence navigating the web

Ann Todhunter Brode has been an Aston Patterning practitioner and body-oriented therapist in Santa Barbara for over forty years. A recognized master in her field,

Brode writes down-to-earth, compassionate articles on the challenges & rewards of living consciously in the body. She is author of Body Wise: What Your Mind Needs to

Know About Your Body. Visit www.bodywisdomforlife.com for more information.

Play

“Play is the meaningless moment that makes the day memorable and worthwhile.” – Stuart Brown, MD, author and founder of the National Institute of Play

In the first three months of the panenced, too much work, responsibility, demic there was a lot of COVIDand seriousness results in a negative humor in our inbox. We laughed outlook, short temper, and grumpiness. online at ourselves as we coveted toilet Or, as my son admitted to my grandson paper, binged on everything nearby, recently, “I’m tightly wound and easily and showed up for work in pajamas. We provoked.” chuckled as clever new words entered Even though we have the ability to our vocabulary offering a “quarantini” seek and benefit from play all through with an olive at the end of a monotoour lives, when circumstances feel nous “blursday.” By July, however, the threatening, oppressive, or upsetting, entertaining emails had dwindled to the first thing to disappear is our sense zero. Did we lose our sense of play? of playfulness. Of course, there are sit

The endless stress of seemingly enduations that require serious attention, less problems makes it hard to find but getting stuck in serious mode is humor in anything. But, as counterinboth exhausting and depressing. As any tuitive as it may seem, cultivating our emergency room nurse knows, even in innate sense of playfulness might be just the darkest times, finding a bit of levity the ticket for making it through these is a good way to rekindle energy and tough times in one piece. You see, there refuel optimism. You experience a bit of is a link between our ability to play and this every time you smile, even if you’re our ability to adapt, survive and get faking it. Research has shown that simalong. Conversely, as we’ve all experiply pulling the muscles of the face into

FEELING PRESSURED TO JOIN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY? LIVE WHERE YOU LOVE!

a smile triggers a release of mood-boostand Tim Schultz tossing hilarious puns ing neurotransmitters like dopamine back and forth. Or, Otto Laula and and serotonin. And, when a humorous Tom Moore creating a poster to spoof moment is shared, it not only gets you New Agers, titled “How to Manifest a out of the funk but it increases trust and Refrigerator.” Or, Linda Mason with decreases anxiety all around. So, when her social commentary cartoons. It you bring your sense of playfulness to still cracks me up thinking of Thom the gym, supermarket, or dinner table, Steinbeck biting Cosmo’s foot at a it’s not just fun, it’s therapeutic. picnic saying, “I think I’ll just have a

In order to invite a little play therahot dog.” And, I can’t help but chortle py into your life, just remember what remembering the holiday party that makes you laugh. Everyone doesn’t Sally Chiu, Laurie Zalk, and I hosted laugh at the same thing. My husband in matching pajamas. There’s a bit of thinks slapstick is hilarious; human magic in all these memories that makes foibles make me smile. What’s your my heart smile. preference? The humor of John Cleese, Give play a chance in your life and Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, or Hasan let it do its magic. For no reason except Minhaj? Do riddles or practical jokes being playful, meander a bit on your or dirty limericks tickle your funny bike ride, play a video game with your bone? Are you amused by the writing kids, and doodle on your appointment of David Sedaris, Dave Barry, or P.G. book. Do something unexpected like Wodehouse? Do you crack up over The make a fart noise or a goofy face. Why Simpsons or Schitt’s Creek? Whatever not share a humorous anecdote with makes you smile, trust your playful a buddy or wink at your sweetheart instincts and make it happen! across the room? Break into a little two

Play has a wide range of possibilities. step singing a few chords of “Sunny From storytelling to sports to doing a Side of the Street” on your next beach crossword puzzle. Just ask your smart walk. As you swing along, your sponspeaker to play an old rock and roll taneous exuberance will lift everyone’s favorite, boogie a bit to the beat, and mood. And, be ready to respond to notice how your mood changes. Go the possibility of playfulness wherever ahead and browse The New Yorker carand however it shows up. For instance, toons or listen to a fun podcast like when asked how the day went, after a Comedy Bang! Bang!, My Dad Wrote a slight pause, my son-in-law responded, Porno, or WTF with Marc Maron. Or, “Swell.” We both got a laugh from his stay closer to home and check out the perfectly timed wry delivery. In these clever videos embedded in this paper’s serious times, a good laugh can turn Morning MoJo. You can pull up an everything around. animal-friends video on YouTube or, even better, go outside and throw a “Grab your coat and get your hat ball for your own dog. Singing “She’ll Leave your worry on the doorstep Be Comin’ Round the Mountain” with Just direct your feet hand gestures never fails. Water fight in To the sunny side of the street” the backyard, anyone? – Billie Holliday,

Lately, I’ve been pondering the play“On the Sunny Side of the Street” ful antics of my friends. Like Dan Frank L aughing • M atters MJ

Bad as Hell

Aman dies and goes to heaven. When he reaches the pearly gates, Saint Peter is there waiting for him.

“Would you like to go to heaven or hell?” he asks the man.

“Well I assume I’d like to go to heaven,” says the man.

Saint Peter tells the man that they have produced two videos for the newly dead to watch. One is of heaven. The other is of hell.

“Watch these,” says Saint Peter. “It should help you decide.”

First the man watches the tape of heaven. And, predictably, it shows a place with blue skies, fluffy white clouds, pleasant music. A peaceful and calm place.

Then the man watches the tape of hell. To his great surprise it shows a place filled with beautiful women, great wine, debauchery, chocolate chip cookies.

“Wow,” says the man. “I’d like to go to hell.”

“Okay,” says Saint Peter. “Off you go!”

Saint Peter pushes the down button in the afterlife elevator and down the man goes.

When the doors open the man is horrified. It’s fire and brimstone and everything he had feared about hell.

“This looks nothing like the video you showed me,” the man says to Saint Peter.

“Oh,” Saint Peter said. “That was the pilot!”